Tetnuldi

4,858 m

Georgia

Also known as Тетнулди, Tetnuld, +3

Тетнулди · Tetnuld · pic Tetnouldi · თეთნულდი · Тетнульд

Elevation: 4,858 m
Prominence: 629 m
Difficulty: 5/10; Easy alpine
Best Season: Aug
Routes: 1

AdvisoryReported 26 Sep 2026
Late September 2026: a guided party turned back at 4,250 m because of unstable snow (crust over loose, cohesionless snow); another party did the same.
camptocamp.org

Routes

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Approximate line — not for navigation

An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.

Why? 5 check notes

danger scan: Nageb camp → Tetnuldi: connector line 61 m above the last hut/bivouac
danger scan: Nageb camp → Tetnuldi: connector line 45 m above the last hut/bivouac
last routed vertex 45 m from the summit
ascent 2318 m vs net gain 1826 m (+27%)
unresolved waypoints: Nageb Glacier, Tetnuldi South-West Ridge shoulder

AlpinePD+GlacierNormal route

Sources differ: 2B (Russian) (SummitPost)

The standard route on Svaneti's snow pyramid: by 4×4 to the top of the Tetnuldi ski area, over a col to a glacier camp at about 3,700 m, then across the Nageb glacier, up a 45° slope beside seracs and a long rising traverse to the South-West Ridge, finishing along a narrow, heavily corniced snow ridge with steps up to 45°.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: ≈ 13.9 km; one way
Ascent: ≈ +2,318 m; −493 m lost on the way up
High Point: 4,858 m
Time Up: ≈ 10h 27m; DIN 33466
Time Down: ≈ 8h 01m; DIN 33466 · same way back

From Mestia drive to the Tetnuldi ski resort by the dirt road from the Ughviri Pass; with a 4×4 you can reach the top station at about 3,050 m (older reports started lower, at about 2,700 m). Traverse south-east over a small ridge and climb unstable scree and a snow or ice gully (crevasses possible) to the Amarati Nest camp on a col at about 3,400 m, then go on to the main camp at about 3,700 m by a small lake on the edge of the Nageb glacier: 4–5 hours from the road end (2¾ hours for a fast party in 2026). The approach can also start from the villages of Adishi or Zhabeshi, which takes a day longer. Summit day starts around 02:00–03:00. Cross the flat Nageb glacier north towards a small cliff left of large seracs (rockfall below it; do not linger) and climb a 100 m snow slope of up to 45° beside the bergschrund to the upper glacier. Traverse right under the West Face on a long snow ramp, crevassed but well away from the seracs, to a snow col left of the shoulder where the route joins the South-West Ridge (Camp 3, about 500 m below the summit; 2½–3½ hours from the main camp). Follow the ridge for about 1 km: easy mixed ground first, then an exposed snow ridge, narrow in places and heavily corniced on the left, with steps of 40–45°; keep to the right of the crest. A party in 2023 reached the summit in 4¾ hours from the 3,700 m camp; allow 7–10 hours for the round trip. Descend the same way. Wind slab on the upper slopes is a real risk: a guided party turned back at 4,250 m in late September 2026 because of an unstable crust over loose snow.

Start

Tetnuldi T4 top station3,033 m

Bus or minibus to Mestia (from Zugdidi or Tbilisi), then a 4×4 taxi to the Tetnuldi ski resort, Adishi or Zhabeshi; there is no bus to the trailheads.

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Tetnuldi T4 top station → Nageb camp	10.7	1,148	493	6h 08m
2	Nageb camp → Tetnuldi	3.2	1,171	0	4h 19m

Waypoints

Lift:
Tetnuldi T4 top station3,033 m
Reached by 4×4 on the ski-resort track from the Ughviri Pass
Bivouac:
Amarati Nest3,350 m
Bivouac:
Nageb camp3,687 m
Main base camp by a small lake beside the Nageb glacier
Summit:
Tetnuldi4,858 m

Key Passages

Unstable scree and gully above the ski-resort road end
100 m slope of up to 45° beside seracs on the Nageb glacier
Crevassed ramp under the West Face
Narrow, corniced South-West Ridge with 40–45° steps

Equipment

0/11 packed

Downloads

Route confidence 80%

Overview

A shapely snow pyramid (4,858 m) entirely in Georgia, rising above the Adishi glacier and the Tetnuldi ski area east of Mestia in Upper Svaneti. The normal South-West Ridge is a PD+ glacier and snow-ridge climb, usually done in three days with two nights in tents.

Tetnuldi stands on the main Caucasus ridge system in Upper Svaneti, about 20 km east of Mestia, and is often counted as the tenth-highest peak of the Caucasus. It is glaciated above about 3,000 m; the Adishi glacier on its south side and the Nageb glacier on the west are the largest of several ice streams. Its double-topped, steep-sided snow pyramid is one of the best-known sights of Svaneti, and since 2016 a ski resort has operated on its lower western slopes.

The normal route, the South-West Ridge, is graded PD+ (Russian 2B). Most of it is glacier travel, with a 45° slope beside seracs and a long ramp under the West Face, but the final kilometre of ridge is narrow, exposed and heavily corniced, with steps of 40–45° that can be icy. Explore-Share puts it between Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn in difficulty. The ski-resort track now lets 4×4 vehicles reach about 3,050 m, which shortens the approach to a single half-day.

The mountain is quiet compared with Kazbek: there are no huts, and parties camp at about 3,700 m. Weather is the main limit, with afternoon storms in summer and wind slab after snowfall.

Climbing Notes

Suitable for climbers with glacier experience who are comfortable on exposed snow ridges and 45° slopes. A typical plan is three days from Mestia: 4×4 to the ski-area road end and walk to the 3,700 m camp; an acclimatisation and skills day to about 4,000 m; summit day with a 02:00–03:00 start and descent to camp or the road. Guided trips run 7–10 days including travel and reserve days.

Georgia's tourism board recommends a professional guide for less experienced mountaineers; guides can be hired through the Mestia guides' office. Bring all camping gear; Mestia has basic shops and gas canisters but little specialist equipment, and the tourist information office has given out a free trekking map and guidebook.

The season runs from mid-July to late September. Watch the snowpack after storms: in September 2026 a guided party turned back at 4,250 m because of an unstable crust over loose snow.

History

Douglas Freshfield's party made the first ascent in 1896, according to the English and Russian Wikipedia articles. Michael S. Taylor and John R. Jenkins climbed the north face. The ski resort on the western slopes opened in the 2015–16 winter. On 16 December 2021 Archil Badriashvili, Giorgi Tepnadze and Bakar Gelashvili made the first winter ascent of the west face over three days.

Season

Best Aug

January: Not advisable
February: Not advisable
March: Not advisable
April: Not advisable
May: Not advisable
June: Possible
July: Good
August: Best (best window)
September: Good
October: Not advisable
November: Not advisable
December: Not advisable

Jan: Winter; ski resort operating, first winter ascent only in 2021
Jun: Early season; heavy snow, ski-area track may not be passable
Jul: Season starts mid-July; afternoon storms
Aug: Best month; warmest conditions
Sep: Good until late September; colder, watch for wind slab after snowfall

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

No huts; camp at the Amarati Nest (about 3,400 m) or by the lake at about 3,700 m.

Fees

4×4 transfer from Mestia to the ski-resort road end, Adishi or Zhabeshi

Rules

No huts or staffed facilities on the route; camping only

Getting There

Mestia

Mestia (Queen Tamar Airport, domestic flights); Kutaisi (KUT) or Tbilisi (TBS) for international flights

Bus or minibus to Mestia from Zugdidi, Kutaisi or Tbilisi (about 5 hours from Kutaisi, 8–10 hours from Tbilisi)
From Mestia a 4×4 taxi by the Mestia–Ushguli road to the Ughviri Pass, then the ski-resort track to the top station at about 3,050 m
Alternative starts: 4×4 from Mestia to Adishi or Zhabeshi

Hazards

Glacier
Crevasses
Cornices
Avalanche
Rockfall
Exposure
Weather
Altitude

Huts & Shelters

Amarati NestBivouacUnstaffed
3,400 m
Nageb campBivouacUnstaffed
3,700 m